The observed impact of training on competence in clinical supervision

OBJECTIVES: The present study analysed the impact and relative effectiveness of routine training (consultancy) versus routine training plus feedback on clinical supervision. DESIGN: The behaviours of one supervisor and six supervisees were observed longitudinally, and comparisons made between a baseline condition and two subsequent experimental training conditions (with and without feedback) and a maintenance period. METHOD: An observational instrument was used to code N = 1387 interactions between the supervisor and the supervisees. Supervisees' satisfaction with supervision was also recorded longitudinally. RESULTS: The inter-observer reliability was very good initially (K > or = 0.81) and did not "drift". Supervision improved during the experimental phase, but most markedly during the maintenance phase. The results appear to reflect a lag effect for the interventions, which can be most readily explained in terms of a socialization period during which both supervisor and supervisee adapted their styles of interaction. CONCLUSION: Competence in supervision appears to require training. The present methodology affords a promising approach to developing and analysing the effectiveness of supervision.